Circulatory loop



June 9, 1936- E. E. ALLYNE CIRCULATORY LOOP Filed July 24, 1933 Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES cmcumroar Loor Edmund 'EaAllyne, Cleveland, OhioQassignor to Allyne Laboratories, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. a

corporation of Ohio Application July 24, 1933, Serlal No. 681,994

2 Claims. (Cl. 62-118) This invention relates to absorption type refrigeration apparatus and more particularly to an air cooled heat exchange device for efliciently cooling the boiler liquor in the still of an absorp- 5 tion refrigerating apparatus during the cooling period of the refrigerating cycle. g

This invention is applicable to all absorption cycle refrigerating apparatuses, although 'it is of particular value in connection with the absorption in cycle refrigerating systems disclosed in my copending applications, Serial Nos. 338,174, filed February '7, 1929, and' 665,029, filed April 7, 1933.

As is well known by those skilled in the art, it

is highly desirable to quickly cool the hot boiler 15 liquor in the still-absorber during the cooling or off-heat period of the refrigerating cycle to ensure eflicient absorption of the refrigerating agent in the boiler liquor.

Heretofore it has been proposed to use im- 20 pounded or running water for this cooling but extended experiments have shown that this is not only impractical but inefllcient.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic layout of an absorption type refrigerating apparatus including the subject matter of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the still-absorber taken on line 22 of Fi 1.

Specifically referring to the drawing, i denotes an a cylindrical or other shaped still-absorber or boiler which is heated by a gas burner 2. It will be understood that the still-absorber or boiler may be heated by any suitable means, such as an oil burner or electrical resistance coil, as this 35 fornis no part of the present invention.

An outlet pipe 3- extends from the upper part of the still-absorber l and is preferably in the form of an attenuated vertical conduit which may act as a rectifier. The pipe 3 is U-shaped and dis- 4 charges adjacent the bottom of a liquid seal or trap 4. Extending upwardly about half way within the liquid trap is an overflow return 'pipe 5, and the trap is filled with a suitable liquid,

such as water or mercury, up to the level of this 5 pipe 5.

Also extending upwardly through the bottom of the trap 4 is the U-shaped gas conduit I leading to a condenser, evaporator or other portion of the refrigerating apparatus designated by the 50 numeral 8. It will be seen from the drawing that the lower end of the pipe 1 terminates slight- 1y above the height of the pipe 5 and the level of the liquid in the trap l.

In closed communication with the still-absorber 55 l is a heat exchange device consisting of a down pipe. 9 lie in a horizontal plane and are provided leg I0 and an up leg H with the portion of the 'he'atexchanger between the leg sections III and II in the form of a U-shaped horizontal loop 9. The parallel sections of the U-shaped loop or with air cooled heat radiating fins I2 in contact therewith. The lower end of gas return pipe 6 leading from the trap 4 communicates with the heat exchanger at a point in the down leg Ill just beyond the bent section I! at the lower end of 10 the vertical portion of the down leg. This bent section 03 acts as a liquid trap and ensures that gas passing. through pipe! will circulate in the direction of the arrows.

The down leg l0 extends from a low level in the still-absorber, while the terminus of the up leg H is just below the level of the liquid H in the still at the end of the heating cycle. It is preferable to continue the pipe il upwardly at an oblique angle after it enters the still and to oil'- set it so that it lies in approximately the center of the still as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, heat is applied to the still I to drive off or boil the ammonia absorbed in the liquid It. The gas evolved passes from the still I through rectifier pipe 3 and bubbles upwardly through the liquid 6 in the trap l, thence passing out of the trap through pipe 1 to the condenser or evaporator 8. Any entrained water is removed from the gas in passing through the liquid of the trap and the surplus gravitates downwardly through pipe 5 into the heat exchanger or circulator coil 9.

Upon completion of the heating period, the heat is cut oil. and the liquefied ammonia 001- lected in the evaporator volatilizes and absorbs heat units from the refrigerator or other space in which the evaporator is confined, whereupon being transformed into a gas, the reverse action from the heating period ensues. Thusthe gas during the cooling cycle returns through gas pipe I and back through pipe 5 into the horizontal section of the loop 9 just beyond the trap 13, creating a circulation or surging of the still liquor l4 therethrough as indicated by the arrows. No gas can bubble upwardly through leg ill on account of the weight of liquid in trap 13. In following this circuitous path, the liquid in the still is rapidlycirculated and its heat eificiently dissipated by means of the air cooled fins I! attached to the horizontal portions of the heat exchanger loop 9. As disclosed in my copending applications, Serial Nos. 338,174 and 665,029, I

may place the circulatory heat exchanger in a flue to increase the circulation of air passing the 5 fins to dissipate the heat. The latent heat of the still liquor is therefore readily removed and permits the complete absorption of the ammonia. gas in the liquid It of the still. After the absorption is complete, the burner 2 is again turned on to drive of! the absorbed ammonia for further condensation and refrigeration.

This arrangement of the heat exchanger 9 with its down leg I0 circulating liquor from adjacent the bottom of the still-absorber and'discharging cooled fluid adjacent the central portion of the stili-absorber, accomplishes the dual function of circulating the hottest liquor to the heat exchanger first, as well as permitting cooled liquid and gas to escape into the still near the surface of the boiler liquor supply. The elongated ob= lique section of the up leg 9! also allows the entrained gas bubbles to break up with little noise and with a minimum of foaming of the liquor.

What I claim is:

1. In an absorption cycle refrigerating system, a still-absorber, a heating burner therefor, an

ou let conduit leading from said still-absorber to an elevated liquid trap, a closed circulating loop provided with a series of spaced vertical heat conducting fins arranged thereon depending from said still-absorber, the major portion of the said loop lying in both the horizontal and parallel planesthereto, a gas returnconduit leading from the said liquid trap to the said circulating loop and communicating therewith at a point slightly below the major horizontal portion thereof.

2. In an absorption cycle refrigerating system, a. still-absorber, a heating burner therefor, a gas outlet conduit leading from the top of said still, an air-cooled closed circulatory loop comprising up and down legs and a major horizontal U- shaped section depending from said still-absorber, a gas trap in the lowermost portion of the said down leg and a gas inlet conduit connected between the said gas trap and the said horizontal U-shaped section of the loop.

EDMUND E. ALLYNE. 

